But when asked about that matchup, which has been heated at times, Beverley chose to deflect the past and highlight the strengths of his counterpart.

"Phenomenal point guard," Beverley said of Lillard. "All-Star caliber point guard. He's been doing a good job leading his team, especially where they came (from) last year to now. (He) can shoot the ball off the dribble, dangerous from three. It's really hard for the defense to set on a player that can shoot it, he can shoot it with the best of them."

"No personal battles at all," he added, focusing on the five players on the court. "It's a team game. It's the Houston Rockets vs. the Portland Trail Blazers, not Patrick Beverley vs. Damian Lillard."

Beverley has held Lillard below his season averages in points and shooting percentage in the head-to-head matchups between the teams this season. The Blazers' All-Star has posted 18.8 points per game on 38.6 percent shooting, with 5.0 assists and 4.0 turnovers in four games against the Rockets in the regular season.

"There are a lot of good defenders in the league, and he is one of the best," Lillard said of Beverley. "He plays a physical style, and is really competitive."

In the video above Beverley talks about the physical nature of the playoffs and learning from past postseason experiences.